Heating system and control mechanism therefor



Aprii 28, 1931. 1,803,024

E. J. LEVY. NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME E. L. MAYO HEATING SYSTEM AND CONTROL MECHANISM THEREFOR Original Fil ed May 9, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y5 Aprifi 2, 131. 1,803,024

E. J. LEVY. NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME E. L. MAYO HEATING SYSTEM AND CONTROL MECHANISM THEREFOR Original Filed May 9, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VENTOR.

.-1TTORNEY$ April 28, 1931. 1,803,024

E. J. LEVY. NOW BY JUDICIAL CHANGE OF NAME E. L. MAYO HEATING SYSTEM AND CONTROL MECHANISM THEREFOR Original Filed May 9, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 7 P Q I do i 6 555%" E 4 e k DISCHARGE V I I! I A! A TTORNE LI INVENTOR.

3 1 565mm; leg/Mayo Patented Apr. 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE nnwann J. LEVY, ow nx JUDICIAL cannon or 11mm EDWARD LEVY mm, or

CLEVELAND smears, onro, ASSIGNOB 'ro THE msnor a BABCOCK mmrmrunme conrm, or CLEVELAND, omqncoaroaarrox or onxo HEATING sysrnu AND con'rnor. uncnmrsn rnmron Application filed Kay 9, 1927, Serial No. 189,889 Renewed February 'I, 1929.

automatically, depending upon the temperature maintained in the room by means of a thermostatic device afi'ected by the room temperature and control fluid pressure lines which lead to pressure motors, which in turn control the valves, admittingthe heat fluid to the radiator. More particularly the present invention is directed to a system of that type in which it is desired to provide A for rendering inoperative certain of the thermostatic control elements during certain periods of day or night, thus permitting the control system to be efl'ective in certain places and mefiective in others with the result that heating fluid will only be admitted to the radiators upon a substantial predetermined temperature drop when desired. The invention also includes a new and improved thermostatic control element, together with means for-operating thesame to carry out the general methods of control referred to above.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter full described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the annexed drawin s and the following description settin orth in detail one method and one pro uct exemplifying Referring now to Fig. 3 there is shown a heating element exemplified by a radiator l rovidedwith an incoming conduit 2 and a gischargeconduit 3. Mounted in the incoming conduitis a valve 4 controlled by a pressure motor 5, the details of which are not shown 'as any suitable standard type of fluid pressure operated motor may there be employed for opening or closing the valve 4, and'thus admitting heating fluid.

to the radiator. The pressure motor 5 is operated by -means of fluid pressure carried thereto through a conduit 6 and from the thermostatic control element 7, which is .mounted in a convenient location on the wall 8 of the room in which the radiator is disposed. Also leading to the thermo- I static control element are two fluid pressure conduits 9 and 10, both of which lead to-a suitable source of fluid pressure, such as the reservoir 11, while each of the lines is provided with'a suitable control valve 12 and 13. The pressure motor and motor operated valve at the radiator may be of the type illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 1,615,825, issued to F. K. Bezzenber er and Wm B. Zimmerman, in which norma y air pressure is maintained in the motor which then maintains the valve in a closed position. Upon a loweringof the temperature in the room the thermostatic control device is designed to release the air pressure from the pressure motor, thus permitting the spring in the latter to open the valve and allow steam or water to flow through the radiator.

The thermostatic control device forcon-v trolling the operation of the pressure motor is shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and consists of a base plate 15, which may be secured to the wall or any other suitable point' in the roomand on which is mounted a casing 16 which is provided with inlet and outlet ports 17 and 18, respectively, leading to a fluid pressure chamber 19, which is also rovided with a leak port 20 normally close by means of a valve 21 and spring 22. This valve 21 is also provided with a second valve on its other end 23'fadapted to close the conduit from the incoming port 17. Connected to the incoming port 17 is the conduit 9 leading from the reservoir, and connected to the discharge port 18 is a second conduit through which the conduit 6 leads to the pressure motor 5. In the normal operation of the device, or rather the device in the condition illustrated in Fig. 4, the leak port 20 is closed and the passageway leading from the port 17 to the port 18 is open, thus allowing fluid pressure to pass through the chamber 19 to the pressure motor and maintain the valve 4 in a closed position, shutting otl' the flow of heating fluid to the radiator.

Pivotally mounted onupstanding arms or brackets 30, carried on the base plate 15, is a support 31 carried by an angle plate 33 which, together with a U-shaped bimetallic thermostatic element 35 are secured to the support 31. The element 35 carries at its extending or free end a contact element 36 adapted to engage, under certain conditions, to be presently described, with the extending stem 37 of the leak port valve 21. The thermostatic bar 35 is thus allowed a certain pivotal movement about the axis 40, on which the support 31 is mounted,'the limiting position in a counter-clockwise direction being controlled by means of an adjusting screw 38 carried in'a projection 39 on the base plate and actuated by means of a handle 1 10 carried on a dial 41. The normal position of the thermostatic bar is shown in Fig. 2, in which position the end of the bar is out of contact with the leak port, but upon lowering of the temperature of the room a contrzmtion of the bar results, bringing the contact button into contact with the extending stem of the leak port valve, depressing the latter, closing the incoming line from the port 17, allowing the fluidpressure of the valve 4 to escape through the leak port 20, and permitting the heating fluid to enter the radiator to raise the temperature of the room.

As already stated, the adjusting screw 38 normally fixes the position of the bracket 33, socket 31 and also the thermostatic bar 35, and this position is also fixed by means of a fluid pressure motor in the form of an expansible and collapsible corrugated tubular wall or bellows 50 provided with an extended threaded shank 51, which is engaged with the socket 32 and with the seeond hollow extending end which is similarly engaged within a suitable threaded opening 54 in the base plate 16. This bellows element is thus connected to the thermostatic bar through the medium of the angle plate 33 and the socket 31 and as fluid pressure is maintained within the bellows it will normally press the socket 31 against the adjusting screw 38 and maintain it in that position. Fluid pressure is admitted to the interior ofthe bellows by means of a port 55 formed in the element 16 and a conduit 10 already referred to and leading to a pressure reservoir. A spring 57 is engaged with a fixed element 58 at the inner or fixed end of the bellows and with a lug 59 on the movable or right-hand end of the bellows, and upon the release of the fluid pressure from the interior of the bellows this spring will contact, tilting the thermostaic bar about its axis 10, and lifting the end of the bar into such position that no normal contraction of the bar in reduction of temperature .will bring it into contact with the leak port stem. In this way the thermostatic element is rendered inoperative under certain conditions and fluid pressure from the same reservoir as that supplying fluid pressure to the fluid pressure motor may be em-f ployed to thus maintain the thermostatic element normally in operation. The fluid pressure is released from the bellows by the valve 12, which is a two-way valve, adapted either to permit pressure fluid from the reservoir 11 through the conduit 10 and to the bellows, or to close the line from the reservoir, and permit the fluid pressure into the bellows and in the line between the bellows and the valve to escape in the atmosphere at the valve.

Under normal conditions the valves controlling the heating conduits, that is, the conduits 2 leading to one or more radiators in the system are closed by reason of the air pressure which is maintained in the fluid pressure meters 5, which operate these valves. Under these conditions air pressure from the. reservoir is maintained in the valve chamber 19' and into conduits leading to and from the ports 17 and 18. The leak port valve 21 is in its upper position as shown in Fig. 4, closing the leak port, and the bimetallic element 35 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 and out of contact with the leak port stem 37. If now it is desired to render inoperative the thermostatic devices in the system, whether one or more, it is only necessary to release the pressure on the bellows elements 50 by means of the valve 12. As soon as this fluid pressure is released spring 57 in the bellows member contracts the latter and positions the element 35 so that it cannot engage with the leak port. Ordinarily, in a school building, for example, this operation will be effected at the close of the day, thus rendering inefi'ective and inoperative all of the thermostatic devices in the various rooms, so that during the night the reduction in temperature in the rooms will not aflect these devices or cause heat to be turned into the rooms except'upon a substantial predeter' mined temperature drop to prevent freezing temperatures in the rooms. It is very desirable, however, and particularly ih school buildings and the like where one or more rooms are to-be used durin the evening,

either for night classes, meetmgsor similarelement into an operative position so that it may continue to function regardless of the cutting ofi of the balance of the thermostatic control for the building. This means consists of a cam carried on a shaft 61 and adapted, upon being rotated by the extendin handle 62, to engage against a late 63 Iiepending from the angle plate 33.

otation of the cam in a clockwlse direction and into the position shown in Fig. 2 will bring it into contact with this plate 63, locking the socket 3l and plate 33 against the adjusting screw 38, and thus taking the place of the fluid pressure actuated means consisting of bellows 50 for accomplishing the same result. If a vcertain room 1s to be used during the evening it is therefore only necessary, either before or after the fluid pressure has been released through the valve 12, to turn the cam 60 in the particular room selected into the position shown in Fig. 2, thus either maintaining the thermostatic element in position to engage and operate the leakport stem, or returning this element into such position if the air pressure has already been released from the motors 50. In the morning when the system is again placed in operation by returning pressure to the line 10, and through which to the various bellows motors, the cams may be released and the system will operate as before.

My improved device and system provide an extremely simple and effective means for selectively placing in or out of operation any desired units of the thermostatic control means for a multiple room heating system.

lines leading to the thermostatic elements.

Other modes of applying the principle oi" my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the. means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a base, a fluid pressure chamber formed therein and provided with ports for connection to inlet. and discharge conduits, a combined tlmv-coutrol valve and vent valve formed in said chamber, a thermostatic element adapted to control said combined flow and vent valve, fluid pressure means normally maintaining said thermostatic element in operative relation to said combined flow and vent valve, means for connecting said fluid pressure means to said thermostatic element and -means operable upon the release of said fluid pressure means adapted to render said thermostatic element inoperable.

a device for controlling the flow of a heating medium, a first pipe leading from a source of fluid pressurega second pipe leading to said device, a valvebetween said pipes for normally permitting fluid to pass from the former to the latter, a thermostat for operating said valve to release pressure from said second pipe and to seal said first pipe, means for controlling said thermostat in its actiolrwith relation to said valve, a third pipe. leading from said controlling means to a source of fluid pressure, and means for varying the pressure in said third pipe for regulating said controlling means.

In asystem of the character described, a valve for controlling the flow of a heating medium, a line connected with such valve for containing a fluid under pressure for normally maintaining such valve closed, a valve operable to vent such pressure from a section of said line for permitting such first-named valve to open, a thermostat for controlling such second named valve, :1 line connected with such thermostat and containing a iluid under pressure for normally maintaining such thermostat in operative relation to such second named valve, and means for venting such pressure of such second named line for permitting such thermostat to assume an inoperative relation to said second named valve, said last named means being operable independently of the pressure in such first named line.

4. In a heating system, a valve for controllingthe flow of a heating medium, fluid and inoperatively positioning said thermo- 2. In a system of the character described,

, relation to its effect on said valve, a pipe leading from said controlling means to a source of fiuid pressure, and means for varying the pressure in said last named pipe for re ulatingsaid controlling means.

%..In a system'of the class described, a pressure motor operated valve controlling the flow of a heating medium, as'ource of fluid pressure, a valve controlling the ad- IIllSSlOIl Of said fluid pressure to said motor,

a thermal element controlling said latter valve, a pivotal mounting for said thermal element, pressure means for moving the thermal element about its pivot, and a separate connection to said source of fluid pressure. for admitting pressure to said means to cause it to move said thermal element about its pivot into operative relation with said latter valve.

8. In a system of the class described, a

' pressure motor operated valve controlling the flow of a heating medium, a source of fluid 'pressure, a valve for admltting and retracting fluid pressure to said motor, a

thermal element having a free end engageable with said valve to control it responsive to temperature changes in'the room, a pivotal mounting for the fixed end of said element, pressure means for moving the thermal element about its pivot, and a separate connection to said source of fluid pressure for "admitting pressure to said means to cause it to move said thermal element about its pivot into operative relation with said latter valve. I A

9. In a system of the character described, a device for controllin medium, a source of fluid pressure of constant value, a first pipe leading from said source, a second pipe leading from said controlling device, a valve between said pipes for normally permitting fluid to pass from the former to the latter for operating said control device'to prevent the flow of heating medium, a thermostat for operating said valve to cause it to release pressure from said second pipe and to simultaneously seal said first pipe, means for controlling said thermostat in its action with relation to said valve, a third pipe leading from said controlling means to a source of fluid pressure, and means for varying the pressure in said third pipe for regulating said controlling means.

10. In a system of the character described,

the flow of a heating a device controlling the flow of a heating medium, a source of fluid pressure of constant' ilvalue, a first pipe leading from said source, a second pipe leading from said controlling-device, a valve between said pipes foizjffnormally permitting fluid to pass .from the: former to the latter for operating .said control device to prevent the flow of heating medium, a stem on said valve, a thermostat'en aging said stem to operate the valve an I release pressure from said second pipe and to .seal said first pipe, means for controlling said thermostat in its action with relation to said valve, 8. third pipe leading from said controlling means to a source of fluid pressure, and means for varying the pressure in said third pipe for re ulatin said controlling means.

igned y me,*'-'this 28th day'ofA ril, 1927.

EDWARD J. EVY. 

